1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bearing removal means, and is more particularly concerned with a shaft-mounted apparatus for pushing a bearing or the like off the shaft.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In removing a bearing or the like from a shaft, one of the most common techniques is to utilize a bearing puller wherein a spindle engages the end of the shaft, and hooked fingers engage the bearing. A screw then urges the fingers rearwardly to pull the bearing off the shaft.
There are some bearings in which the end of the shaft is not accessible for use of the conventional bearing puller. One such bearing is a front wheel bearing of a front-wheel drive automobile. Such a bearing is splined to a shaft, and a hub surrounds the bearing and mounts the stub shaft to carry a wheel. Since the end of the shaft mounting the bearing is not accessible, the conventional bearing puller is not usable. The conventional method for removing such bearings is to drive the bearing off the shaft with hammer blows. It is well known that one ought not to hammer on a bearing; but, there has been no other means devised for removal of the bearings. Thus, even manufacturer-trained mechanics hammer on the bearing to remove it from the shaft.